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Aston Martin and Zagato tease concept

Good news! Aston Martin is teaming up with Zagato to build that vision of red supercar you see above. Bad news! That’s the only picture we’ve got at the moment.

Set for a Villa d’Este debut on 21 May, the concept supercar will celebrate 50 years since Aston and Zagato made merry with a DB4GT and marks a very fruitful relationship. At the show, Aston will gauge reaction and if many rich people order their manservants to ‘make it so’, a production car could follow in 2012.

After Villa, the concept will make its racing debut at the Nurburgring 24hr race, and this excites us greatly. So much in fact, that we have decided to bring you a gallery of Aston and Zagato’s earlier collaborations. Because we’re nice like that.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

First outing between Aston and Zagato arose from a need to make the DB4GT lighter and faster. Now sported 314bhp from its 3.7-litre straight-six (up from 302bhp), and hit 60mph in just over six seconds. Also, was quite exceptionally good looking, which you can see.

19 were originally built of which all are still alive, including a pair ordered by the Essex Racing Stable and tracked by Jim Clark and Roy Salvadori.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

Aston Martin Vantage Zagato

Prospective buyers snapped up all 50 models of the Vantage Zagato after its debut at the Geneva show in 1985. Based on a drawing.

A drop-top (Volante) version appeared soon after, and both models housed a 5.3-litre V8 with 432bhp and 395lb ft of torque, which isn’t shabby today. 0-60mph takes 4.8 seconds and they both top out at around 186mph.

Aston Martin Vantage Zagato

Aston Martin Vantage Zagato

Aston Martin Vantage Zagato

Aston Martin DB7 Zagato

Aston was keen to work with the renowned Italian design house again to recapture the spirit of the original DB4GT, and came up with the DB7 Zagato.

It sits on a shortened DB7 wheelbase and features Zagato’s aluminium bonnet, door skins, boot and front wings, and weighs 60kg less than the standard car as a result. Underneath that luscious skin beats Aston’s untouched 6.0-litre V12 churning out around 435bhp.

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